Plus one for the nano puff. It’s warm lightweight and extremely versatile. A waterproof shell for actual snow (or rain) days can come in handy.
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Did you notice this…
My experience with a kid who isn’t used to wearing a coat is that he is likely to lose at least one or two before he internalizes the need to keep track of it. I absolutely would not buy an expensive coat for a kid who isn’t used to wearing one.
I know that Williams tends to run a bit colder than my house just east of Worcester, but I would be more concerned about getting a jacket that’s waterproof in all types of rain and snow rather than optimizing for warmth. I think the suggestions for things you can layer is really good.
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Well, I eventually noticed he lost it when it was time for him to go back to college again and he had no idea where it was. 
Luckily, it was nothing nearly as expensive as Canada Goose, that’s for sure.
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He’s from a cold climate and was use to wearing coats. He was also a 14 year old boy use to leaving his things lying around at his small private primary school. The cost of the coat did come out of his pocket.
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When S24 went to a local private middle school where they left everything around he lost so many things. Now that he goes to public school and no one leaves anything behind he loses nothing. He wont lose a coat,but I love all of these suggestions and will have him look through them. He does want one.
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I had my son choose a North Face triclimate coat so that he could wear the inner layer on its own, the outer on its own, or the two together. Much to my dismay, he wore the outer layer solo the most and winter was a very long season where he attended college. Once he returned in Jan, he requested a hat. Also buy a couple of pairs of gloves as those will go missing.
We debated the need for a hooded raincoat for at least ten minutes in the store. He finally ‘allowed’ me to buy it, insisting it would be useless, but went on to wear it more than any other coat he owned.
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This worked for my boy. It’s sort of retro-vintage-classic and he was into that vibe:
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I confess I’m eyeing that one. (I don’t think S will like the brand tag and I wonder if it’s sewn on or ironed.) There’s a similar Patagonia that’s much more expensive.
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Please….let your son choose his own jacket. Please. Perhaps send him the links to several options and let him choose.
LLBean name is sewn on.
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Exactly!
Better not to spend a lot of money on an item that will surely get left behind and lost. Go with something inexpensive, that’s roomy enough to wear over sweatshirts. Definitely multiple hats and pairs of gloves. Also some waterproof boots - the slip on duck boots, with rubber bottoms and leather uppers, serve very well in rain and slush.
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My son would not be caught dead in these. DD has them and loves them, but not DS. Even with boots, I say…let the kid have options and choose.
Otherwise, you might be wasting your money entirely.
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My son’s winter jacket made it through four years of college and beyond but his Timberland’s were taken! They used to leave their boots outside their apartment door and he thinks that someone took them by mistake when moving out.
Neither of mine owned or wanted to own rain boots, but they each wore ‘weather-proof’ boots made by Cole Haan or Timberland–but not the huge bulky Timberlands. Just something with a good tread for when the flagstones were slippery.
We have enjoyed a run of mild winters in the northeast these past several years, so true snow boots have not been needed either.
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We are in MA- for FREEZING days when they are outside he has a Northface puffer. Got it in 8th grade and it has lasted this long and still in great condition. We got him a Large so it still fits. He also has a Carhartt coat that is quilted and quite thick that is good for the 20-30 degree weather. In college I see a lot of kids do not wear coats and just wear hoodies and walk fast 
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How many times do you think he has worn that coat since you got it for him an eighth grade? (sorry, this sounds aggressive, I really mean it in a curious way!)
We have lived in Massachusetts for over seven years, and if I don’t count when we were shoveling snow, I think we have worn our heaviest coats maximum three times. Of course, none of us have been in college where we had to walk to all our classes. My son who is a freshman in Worcester now doesn’t even have a winter coat with him and now that I think about it, he didn’t take anything heavier than his raincoat. I guess I should probably suggest he take something heavier when he goes back in January!
When our son moved to boarding school from southern CA to northern Michigan, we talked him into waterproof boots and gloves. Well, he never lost them…found them not long ago still in the original boxes and unused in the back of his closet. 
He does still wear the puffer jacket we bought with him back then…
I have long since learned not to buy him anything without him choosing the item.
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My S wears a lightweight warm jacket when he snowboards. Otherwise, he will only wear an insulated pea coat (J Crew has nice ones). I suspect he might put on the snowboard jacket when he shovels his driveway, but otherwise, he apparently doesn’t get cold.
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I’m of the camp that they will lose coats if they even wear them. I bought 5-6 navy puffer coats on Amazon, which are the same style as the Patagonia but for $30.
My boys also have Patagonia and Land’s End puffer coats. I give a shout-out to Land’s End Boys husky coats - a size XXL is easily a men’s medium for a fraction of the price.
My S24 has a very expensive parka that I bought at a Gilt warehouse sale - wildly expensive and warm. I’m not kidding when I say one of the main factors he had in picking a college was where it would get cold in the winter so he can wear the coat.
But my S22 was up in Philadelphia last school year and it never got cold - I think he wore a coat one day. However, when we were visiting in the spring an administrator stopped me and said that my S22 had been spotted in t-shirt and shorts in February going to class. Sigh…
And the lost coats were both Canada Goose, for which most of us need to take out a mortgage. 
Bean boots are big at UGA and Georgia Tech. Maybe it is a southern thing? Definitely let kid chose their own. Two of mine are getting Xtratuff slip on boots for Christmas - for wear during rain or going out to gross bars or fraternity parties. These are also a thing (at least around here).
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